New evidence for probiotics and preventing eczema in babies

Most pregnant women are well acquainted with prenatal vitamins. But how about prenatal probiotics? A new study suggests these helpful bacteria might one day be a pregnancy mainstay as well.

Probiotics are tiny organisms, usually bacteria, which occur naturally in some cultured/fermented foods, such as yogurt and sauerkraut. They are also sometimes added to milk, soy drinks, and other foods, and they are available as supplements.

Probiotics are often called "friendly bacteria" because they help with digestion and keep some types of harmful bacteria at bay. Studies show they may also help the immune system to develop and reduce the risk of allergies, which occur when the immune system overreacts to something harmless, like pollen. This has led researchers to wonder whether probiotics might be used to prevent some allergy-related conditions, such as eczema. In eczema, patches of skin become dry, red, and itchy. It's a common condition, particularly among children.

And this is where the notion of prenatal (and postnatal) probiotics comes in.

Some studies have found that children are less likely to get eczema if their mothers took probiotics late in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, or if the children were given probiotics as babies. However, most of these studies have looked at children who have a family history of eczema and are at high risk. Might there also be a benefit for children with no known risk?

To find out, Norwegian researchers recruited 415 pregnant women who were planning to breastfeed their babies. Some had a family history of eczema and related allergies, and others did not.

The women were randomly split into two groups. One group drank cultured milk with probiotics from the 36th week of their pregnancy until their baby was 3 months old. The other group drank identical milk that contained no probiotics. The researchers then followed up with the women two years later, to find out whether their children had eczema.

The results were striking. Children born to women who drank the probiotic milk were half as likely to have eczema at age 2 than those whose mothers drank milk with no probiotics. And the children in the probiotics group who did develop eczema had less severe symptoms overall. These results didn't change when the researchers factored in other things that might have affected the children's risk of eczema and other allergies, such as whether their mother smoked, whether they were breastfed for only a short time, and whether they started eating food before age 6 months.

Interestingly, the children most likely to benefit from probiotics were those with no family history of eczema or related allergies. This suggests, say the researchers, that widespread use of probiotics among pregnant and breastfeeding women might help curb rates of eczema among children.

However, this is still just a theory, and we need more research to unravel exactly how probiotics can help prevent eczema and which "friendly bacteria" might work best. Incidentally, this study used three probiotics that have had positive results in other research—Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12. The researchers found no harmful effects from the probiotics, either among the women or their babies.

What you need to know. This study adds to a growing body of research showing that probiotics may be useful in preventing eczema in young children. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding and interested in taking probiotics, talk to your doctor. Although these "friendly bacteria" are unlikely to cause harm, it's best to check before making any changes to your diet when you're pregnant or nursing.

—Sophie Ramsey, patient editor, BMJ Group

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Find out more about avoiding triggers and coping with eczema. And take a look at the 3 most-effective eczema treatments (available to subscribers).

—Aaron Bailey